BRUNDAGE/TAMARACK TRIP REPORT
The DSC trip to McCall, Idaho to ski Brundage and Tamarack started off with a bang and ended with a bang!
The bus took off from Albertson's Richland, we popped the corks with the traditional champagne toast, served by newbies, Don Dicken and Clarence May, along with Wendy Bennett and Karen Wieda. We picked up two board members in La Grande and a member in La Grande. Then off we went on a gorgeous day with a short stop in Weiser, Idaho.
We arrived at the Hunt Lodge Holiday Inn Express around 7:30 pm. After check in some of us braved the evening and walked to the Old Mill for a bite and drinks.
Bright and early we arrived at Brundage Mountain where Michael Hayes greeted our bus with our lift tickets. Most of us took the 10:00 mountain tours on another beautiful day. The snow was firm in the morning and great fun by afternoon. Many sat on the deck for lunch and for afternoon sun.
That night the bus driver took us to Lardos for dinner, where we had reservations for 45 and 50 showed up! They took good care of us and appetizers were given all around before everyone ordered their meals.
Saturday morning, even brighter and earlier, we set off for Tamarack. After a couple of glitches getting there and settled, most took the Tamarack Adventure Group (TAG) tour of the mountain in the morning. The snow was extra firm but fast and fun. Later in the day it was perfect spring conditions and all levels of skiers had a great day.
Lunch was in the 7 Devils on our own. At 4:00 everyone gathered outside the Canoe Grill & Vertical Bar for a group photo, followed by all included taco bar buffet and our very own bartender. That night on return most chilled in the room after a big day on the mountain or relaxed in the hot tub.
Sunday morning, St. Patty's Day, everyone decked in their finest attire of green to ski all day the beautiful weather and spring skiing conditions. We gathered in a private room with a bar and bartenders to celebrate another great St. Patty's trip to Idaho. The trip included this buffet also, corn beef and cabbage, salad, potatoes, etc., a very excellent buffet! Our Past President, Shea Meehan, bought the first round of drinks for all and the Trip Leader for Brundage/Tamarack the second round. Contests for costumes, limericks, stories, songs with prizes were had. Costume winners were Rebecca Weber and Rick Garrison!
At 5:00 we boarded the bus to return home and again the drive was beautiful and uneventful until we had a brief rest stop and also to deliver Bobbi to her car. Our final push toward home gave us our second BANG. It was an elk that hit the passenger windshield. Our excellent driver, Ron, calmly without expression slowed from 70 mph perfectly to a stop on the roadside. He and several got out to inspect damage and finding none that hampered the bus mechanically, other than a very cracked windshield and the door that wouldn't close completely, we were off again with more calmness from our driver and, therefore, for all of us. After one more stop in Pendleton to send Larry and Rod off, we made it back to Albertson's parking lot uneventfully, around 10:00 pm. So Cheers to our driver, Ron, for keeping us safe in what could have been a major disaster! Thank you all for making this a fun and memorable trip!